1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and a device for producing small, thin sheet film of one or more active ingredients, in particular for use as a metering and administration form for medicaments.
2. Description of the Related Art
In addition to the known metering forms for medicaments, such as tablets, capsules, droplets or similar administration forms, there is also the “wafer” form of administration. This is a small, thin sheet comprising or containing an active-ingredient film with a predetermined quantity of active ingredient, the thickness and dimensions of which are adapted to the quantity of active ingredient which is to be dispensed. Since the contact area of the wafer is directly related to the metered quantity of the active ingredient, its dimensions must as far as possible correspond to the calculated dimensions and lie within the tolerance range. Therefore, the wafer is complex to produce.
It is known to produce the active-ingredient film by means of casting methods or by a coating method. Usually, the active-ingredient film is cast onto or applied to the film material in some other way, with or without the substrate material, is wound up into reels and is stored. If the active-ingredient film is wound up together with the substrate material, during the subsequent processing of the active-ingredient film to form small, thin sheets, the substrate material is separated from the active-ingredient film and is wound up separately. The thin, flexible active-ingredient film is cut. The actual dimensions produced frequently fail to correspond to the required dimensional tolerances which have been set down in accordance with the metering of the medicament, which is reflected in the active-ingredient tolerance over the area.